Valve structure



July 14, 1942. MUELLER 2,289,721

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed July 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jar 1 I H II M H v .30 1' ,2;

a; Z4 A VZZ 3vvuwn$o frank 45C MaeZZer,

J 14, 1942- 1 F. H. MUELLER 2,289,721

' VALVE STRUCTURE Filed July 29, 1940 r 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z5? frank 15C MaeZZer- July 14, 1942. F. H MUE R 2,289,721

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed July 29, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,289,721 VALVE STRUCTURE Frank H. Mueller, Decatur, Ill., assignor to Muela corporation of Illinois ler 00., Decatur, Ill., Application July 29, 1940,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to valve structures, and, more particularly, to ground key stops.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve structure of such design that the valve element will be urged to proper seated position by the line pressure.

Another ject of the invention is to provide a lubricated valve including improved forms of lubricating passages and which is fully sealed against escape of pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve which, when operated, will be automati cally released from any seizure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a valve structure;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an operatin handle for the valve;

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section through one end of the valve element;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the end of the valve element illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional line 5-5 of Figure 1;

view on the Figure 6 is a perspective view of a lubricant pressure cut-off device which may be used in the valve;

Figure '7 is a perspective view, with a portion cut away, of the valve body;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembled valve element and valve body, with portions cut away; 4

Figure 9 is a central vertical section of a lied form of valve structure;

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view on the line ld-lfl of Figure 9., and

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view on the line I l-l I of Figure 9.

Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the numeral 28 designates a valve body element provided with a flow passageway 2| and a transversely arranged tapered seat 22. Seat 22 opens at its larger end to a chamber 23 closed by a threaded cap 24, with an interposed gasket 25. The smaller end of the tapered seat opens to a chamber or recess 2%.

A valve element or plug is positioned in the tapered seat 22, the valve element including a transverse or radial flow port 3| which opens at the larger end of the plug through an opening 32 to the chamber 23 at that end of the valve body. At its smaller end plug 30 is provided with a shank 34 which is axially bored as indicated modi- Serial No. 348,249

phragm 38 and also a medlately transmit plug 30 but ride seat.

at 35, this port being closed by an impulse member comprising a cup-shaped rubber diaphragm 36 having its edges clamped by a threaded collar 31 which engages internal threads in the outer and countersunk end of bore 35.

The chamber 26 at the smaller end of the valve body is closed by a rubber diaphragm 38 clamped between the upper edge of the valve body element 20 and a ring 39 threaded upon that element. The operating handle 40 is positioned within the ring 39, being held against outward movement by a collar 4| threaded in ring 39 and which bears upon a lateral flange on the handle 40. Ring 4| may be locked in place by means of a set screw 42, as shown in Figure l.

The flat inner surface of handle 40 is provided with a diametrical rib 4.3 which, as, best shown in Figure 2, is semi-cylindrical in shape. Rib 43 bears against the upper surface of the sealing diaphragm 38 while the outer end of the plug shank 34 bears against the undersurface of the diaphragm. The outer end of shank 34 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed recesses or notches 44 of sufficient depth axially of the plug to accommodate the thickness of diasuflicient depth of rib 43 to cause the plug to be turned when the handle 40 is turned. However, as best shown in Figure 3, the edges of the notches 44 are gently inclined to a shallow generally V-shaped formation instead of exactly conforming to the cross sectional outline of the ribs 43'.

Thus, when the handle 49 is rotated,. the side surfaces at the ends of the rib 43 will not im- -a turning movement to the up along the less steeply inclined notch 44, with the result that the plug will be urged axially of the valve body 20 tobe unseated to a limited extent and then the plug will be given. a turning movement, being held slightly unseated until turning is completed. This axial the plug. will be line pressure which is present in at the larger end of the, tapered seat so that th plug will be reseated when turning is stopped. Chamber 23 will, of course, be opened to line the plug is installed, so that if the plug is moved to closed position it will contain fluid under line pressure.

The line pressure within the port 3| of the plug will also act upwardly against the cupshaped diaphragm to act upon a body of grease contained within that diaphragm and chamber 26 at the smaller end of the tapered Grease in this chamber will be forced through passages or ports 50 which, as best rotate. This construction permits the plug to be shown in Figure extend from the inner shoulinitially moved axially in its seat upon any turncler of chamber 26 to pockets 52 positioned ing movement. The sealing diaphragm 38 prein the seat 22 of the valve body element at a vents leakage of fluid from the valve and simulpoint spaced axially from shoulder 5|. Four 5 taneously enables turning pressure to be transsuch passages 50 and pockets 52 are provided mitted from the handle 40 to the plug 30 with 52 opposite to the inner ends of the passages 50 than a washer. Because of the rounded form of open to grooves 53 extending longitudinally of rib 43 and the tapered form of the notches 44 the seating surface 22 but terminating at a point n the p shank the d p agm 38 will not spaced from the larger end of the plug 30. become Worn, even after repeated turning of the Flow of grease through the passages 50 from p u chamber 26 is controlled bya cut-off washer 55 The a gem t w e y p essure is transof the construction best shown in Figure 6 dis mitted from the line through the diaphragm 36 closed in the application of Frank H Mueller and to the g eas cha r 25 s particularly econom- Walter J Bowan for Lubricated valve, Serial No. l n manufac u 111 t a It requires no metal plate 56 of substantially annular form Referring to Figures 9 to 11, these illustrate a depth than the depth of the lugs so that the out- The smaller nd f the s at p n o a h mthe ends of the lugs. The cut-ofi washer 56 is h valv l m nt r pl 11 is pr vided with adapted to surround the hank 34 of plug a transverse or radial flow port 18. The shank with flattened surfaces 6! on the washer aperu e t0 ee lVe a t ansve se D 1 3| mOVlng ture so that the washer will rotate with the plug, in the chamber 76 and adapted to abut against 5 asher 5 held 111 place on the shank 31 by stop ShOllldGIS 82 formed in that chamber after means of a collar 62 threaded on the outer surm m o the p e s a k 19 conto reach the valve body passage 50. derside of an operating handle 85 A seal is pro- As is indicated in Figure 5,iwhen the plug 30 vided about h ndl 65 y washer 85a. is in closed position, the passages 50 will be open As s wn in F u e 9 the Nb 84 has a shallow gtrlps 58 will not overlie these passageg As is portion of the bottom wall of 11017011 83 but which Will be above the mouths of the passages 50, but notch 83. Hence when handle 85 is turned, it

upon the cup-shaped diaphragm 35 to maintain a tapered inner edge of notch 33 0 e the p sealing pressure 'of grease in the longitudinal 17 axially of the seat 1|. This arrangement, like grooves 53 the corresponding arrangement of Figures 1 to 8, When the plug 30 is rotated in a counter-clockenables the plug to be moved from a seized posiwise direction as viewed in Figure 5 for the purtien- A Spring 7711 at the larger end of the Plu pose of bringing its flow passage 3| into alignwill return the latter to normal position when ment with the flow passage 2| of the valve eleturning s omple ed.

ment 2!), the advancing edges of the resilient The seating surface 88 of the valve element or being the passages which directly communicate with a pair of oppositely d sposed longitudinally extending passageways 89 which are of shorter plug port 3| will move during such turning movelength than the seating surface 1| of the valve ment of the plug. As a result, the pressure of body element and plug but of suihcient length to grease in the chamber 26 will not act upon these extend past the flow port 12. The grooves 89 two grooves 53 at the time that the plug is being communicate adjacent the larger end of the plug rotated When the plugreaches closed position with radial passages 93 which open to a central after a movement of 90, all of the passages 50 recess 9 in the p u Recess 9| Contains an will be open t chamb 26, outwardly facing cup-shaped diaphragm or im- As has been heretofore described, the initial pulse member 92 secured in place by a threaded action of turning the operating handle 40 to ring 93 so that the outer surface of diaphragm rotate plug 30 will cause the advancing edges 92 is open to the chamber 13 at the larger end of rib 43 to act through the rubber diaphragm of the valve body seat. Chamber 13, in turn, 38 to move the plug axially toward the larger end communicates with the pressure side of the flow of the seat 22. However, before the rib 43 can passageway 12 through a port 94 so that the line 'climb up upon the edge of shank 31, the plug will pressure may act upon the outer surface of diaphragm 92 to force grease in chamber 9| to the longitudinal grooves 89.

The passages 89 in the seating surface 88 of the plug 11 are so arranged with respect to the turning movement permitted the plug by the stop shoulders82 that they will never be opened to the line pressure during turning movement of the plug.

It will be observed from the above that in both forms of the present invention the line pressure maintains a grease seal in the seating surface and that both forms of the invention entirely seal the valve against leakage at the ends of the plug. At the same time, arrangements are provided whereby the plug will be moved axially of its seat during the initial portion of any turning movement of the plug, this unseating action being maintained throughout the turning movement, the plug then being returned to normal seating position when the turning movement is completed, either by line pressure, or a spring.

Subject-matter disclosed but not claimed herein is claimed in my divisional application for Valve structures, Serial No. 383,626, filed March 15, 1941.

The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve structure, a valve body element provided with a flow passageway and a transversely extending seat, a valve element rotatable in the seat and provided with a flow port, a handle element rotatable in said valve body element at one end of said valve element, coacting means on said handle element and valve element to operatively connect the same and cause said valve element to move axially of the seat during its rotation, and a sealing diaphragm between said handle element and valve element.

2. In a valve structure, a valve body element provided with a flow passageway and a transversely arranged seat, a valve element rotatably mounted in the seat, a handle element rotatable in the valve body element at one end of the valve element, a rib extending radially of the inner face of said handle element, a notch extending radially of the opposed end of the valve element, the notch including an inclined wall adapted to be engaged by the rib so that the valve element will be moved axially of its seat upon rotation of the handle element and will thereafter rotate with the handle element, and a flexible sealing elem'ent interposed between the notch and rib.

3. In a valve structure, a valve body element including a flow passagway and a seat, a valve element mounted for rotation in the seat and including a flow port, turning means for said valve element carried at one end of the valve body element, and an operating connection between said turning means and valve element including an imperforate flexible sealing diaphragm extending transversely of the seating area of the valve body element to isolate such area from the exterior of the valve.

4. In a valve structure, a valve body element provided with a flow passageway and a transversely extending seat, a valve element rotatable in the seat and provided with a flow port, a handle element rotatable in said valve body element at one end of said valve element, coacting means on said handle element and valve element to operatively connect the same and cause the valve element to move axially of the seat during its rotation, a sealing diaphragm between said handle element and valve element, the valve element having a port therein to place its flow port in communication with the adjacent side of said diaphragm.

FRANK H. MUELLER. 

